Le Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is probably the only real dive-bar in Shadyside. Places like Cappy's and Shadyside Saloon are dives for the neighborhood but Mardi Gras is a straight-up gross old dive-bar, no matter which neighborhood you compare it to.

So many cigarettes have been smoked in Mardi Gras that there is a haze even when none of the patrons are smoking. We're pretty sure we were sucking in J's second-hand Lucky Strike smoke from college while we were there. The lighting is the kind we refer to as "dirty." As in, the bar is so dirty they just keep the lights off so you can’t see how nasty it is in there. Is it actually that dirty? We have no idea. It was already pretty dark when we went in and then the bartender turned the lights down even more. Apparently it's no good if people can see each other there.

Its decor is vaguely New Orleans themed, but you would be hard-pressed to tell. There are some Mardi Gras masks scattered around and some paintings, but you really can't see much through the dark and the haze.

Like all great dive bars it does have some things going for it. The booths are big and round and not nearly as gross as they should be. The drinks at Mardi Gras are almost an urban legend in Pittsburgh, rumored to have some kind of secret super strength. Who knows, we drink whiskey and it tasted the same there as everywhere. They still have a real jukebox, which is refreshing. The real draw for J used to be the tabletop Ms. PacMan, but that seemed to not be functioning when we were there.

It's up to you to weigh the pros and cons on going to Mardi Gras, but most likely it's going to come down to your tolerance for smoking in bars. If you can handle it, Mardi Gras has 50+ years of second hand smoke saved up for you, but they've also got everything else that a good dive bar needs.

Address:	731 Copeland St, 15232  http://lemardigras.com/	Games:	Ms PacMan
Façade:	Not Scary, but hidden a little	Scene:	Smokey dive
Parking:	Easy	Patio/Outdoor:	No
Kitchen:	None	Cleanliness:	Questionable
Smoking:	1970's Pittsburgh	Jukebox:	Jukebox
Hours:	4pm-2am	Cig Machine:	Yes
Drink Prices:	Normal	# taps:	16
Bathrooms:	Sit	Specials:	Daily
Live music:	Never	Riley Factor:	$8.00
ATM:	No	Cash Only	No
TVs:	4	Size:	Hole in the wall